The special skeleton of a 20 million year old "mermaid"

(NLDO) - The "mermaid" in Venezuela belongs to an extinct species and still has a skeleton, fierce evidence of the Miocene ocean.

At a rocky outcrop in the Agua Clara Formation, south of Coro City, Venezuela, paleontologists have unearthed what they describe as the strange skeleton of a dugong, or sea cow or "mermaid" as South Asians call it.

A "mermaid" fossil with many strange features compared to its descendants tells the story of the wild seas of the Miocene - Illustration AI: Anh Thu

It is strange because the excavated creature was not the dugong we see today, but an extinct species of the mammal genus Culebratherium, which is also completely extinct.

Scientists initially excavated the skull, then found some other bones, enough for them to recognize it as a strange ancient species.

Dating results show that this fossil skeleton is 20 million years old, meaning it lived during the Miocene.

Most notably, the "ghosts" of an ancient crocodile and tiger shark were also revealed thanks to this "mermaid" skeleton.

The most visible bite marks correspond to the impacts of the crocodile's teeth, which have a pulling effect concentrated on the animal's snout.

In addition, there were multiple tiger shark bite marks on the skeleton. It is possible that the animal's body was fought over by sharks. A tiger shark tooth was also found next to the skeleton.

"Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that food chains functioned similarly to today millions of years ago," said Dr. Aldo Benites-Palomino, a paleontologist at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, in a statement to Sci-News.

In addition, the results published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology also analyzed the role of dugongs in the ancient food chain in the region.

However, this is just the beginning.

Scientists say they are trying to piece together what they describe as the bizarre skeleton of a "mermaid". It is highly likely to be a new species.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/venezuela-bo-xuong-dac-biet-cua-nang-tien-ca-20-trieu-tuoi-196240901084916274.htm